County childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in McDonough County, IL
The standout signal in McDonough County, IL is the center–family premium: center infant care costs $3,729/yr more than family care (wide premium tercile) beside a $8,496 center sticker.
Data updated 2026-09-24
- $8,496
- Center Infant/yr
- $4,767
- Family Infant/yr
- $48,904
- Median Income
- 17.4%
- % of Income (Infant)
The verdict
McDonough County pairs below-national-median infant care costs with a heavy income burden on families.
- Top 46%
- cheapest nationally
- Heavy
- income-burden tier
- Wide
- family-vs-infant price gap
- #1,212
- of 2,661 priced counties
A center-based childcare affordability composite (infant, preschool, and school-age price burden relative to local median income) plus poverty rate, benchmarked against every other tracked county nationally. Not a rating of childcare quality, safety, or availability. Dimensions with no data on file are excluded and their weight redistributed, never counted as zero.
National sticker context: $9,593 average.
The going rate for center-based infant care in McDonough County, IL is $8,496/year, while family childcare is $4,767/year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor National Database of Childcare Prices. This represents 17.4% of the median household income, exceeding the HHS 7% affordability threshold. Toddler care at a center costs $9,412/year.
Heavy-burden age costs in McDonough County
| Age Group | Center-Based | Family Childcare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $8,496 | $4,767 |
| Toddler | $9,412 | $5,460 |
| Preschool | $8,233 | $6,504 |
| School Age | N/A | $1,183 |
Where McDonough County ranks on infant-care cost
Center-based infant care, every U.S. county with reported prices
$8,496 more affordable than 54% of 2,661 US counties
Each bar is a $2.5K-wide band; taller bars hold more US counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices · 2022
McDonough County vs. every other Illinois county: income vs. infant-care cost
Median household income (x) vs. average center-based infant care (y) across 30 Illinois counties with reported prices. Crosshairs at the Illinois median.
Within Illinois, McDonough County has lower income and lower infant-care cost than the typical Illinois county (its national standing, below-national-median infant care costs, is a separate comparison against every U.S. county, not just its own state).
McDonough County premium reading
The standout signal in McDonough County, IL is the center–family premium: center infant care costs $3,729/yr more than family care (wide premium tercile) beside a $8,496 center sticker.
Heavy-burden tercile counties like McDonough County put infant center care at 17.4% of a $48,904 ACS median, well above the HHS 7% line. Treat subsidy and family-setting trade-offs as first-order, not footnotes.
For how to vet a licensed provider (inspection reports, QRIS ratings, CCDF subsidy intake), see Choosing Quality Childcare. Rate methodology: how these numbers are computed.
Historical Price Trends (2008–2022)
Center-based infant care costs over 2008–2022 (15 years of NDCP data).
View full data table (all care types) ▼
| Year | Ctr Infant |
|---|---|
| 2008 | $7,054 |
| 2009 | $7,371 |
| 2010 | $7,688 |
| 2011 | $7,874 |
| 2012 | $8,060 |
| 2013 | $8,320 |
| 2014 | $8,580 |
| 2015 | $8,649 |
| 2016 | $8,718 |
| 2017 | $8,718 |
| 2018 | $8,718 |
| 2019 | $8,662 |
| 2020 | $8,607 |
| 2021 | $8,551 |
| 2022 | $8,496 |
Nearest infant-price counties in Illinois
Ordered by ABS(center_infant) to McDonough County's MID NDCP sticker - not A-Z chrome.
What to do with McDonough County
Infant center care here runs 17.4% of the local median income (HEAVY), check where your own household lands.
- McDonough County spends 17.4% of median income on infant center care, above the HHS 7%-of-income affordability line. See exactly where your own household income lands. Affordability calculator
- $8,496/yr center infant sticker (MID) - see how McDonough County compares against the full national ladder. National rankings
- If care is straining the budget, federal and state programs (CCDF, Head Start) can cut it sharply. Check whether McDonough County families are likely eligible. Check subsidy eligibility
Figures are NDCP county-level survey medians for 2022 - your local providers set the actual price.